Beyond Architecture: Architecture's Alternative Role in Architecture Image

Syracuse University SURFACE

School of Architecture Dissertations and Architecture Senior Theses Theses

Spring 2019

Beyond Architecture: Architecture’s alternative role in architecture image

Zexi Tang Syracuse University

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Recommended Citation Tang, Zexi, "Beyond Architecture: Architecture’s alternative role in architecture image" (2019). Architecture Senior Theses. 458. https://surface.syr.edu/architecture_theses/458

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ABSTRACT

Images/drawings of architecture primarily act as documentation of structures to help the audience (architects or clients) understand how architecture functions: the sense of space, physical relationship with the context, and circulation through different programs. Nevertheless, architectural images that focus not on functionally determine spaces but rather on an idea or provocation, also play a significant role in the representation of architecture. The role of architecture in these kinds of images can be beyond a shelter or accommodation. It can set up a stage to deliver messages; discuss historical, social, economic or political issues; or to express emotion or desire. Architects/artist have been using architecture images with perplexing spatial qualities as provocative, topical responses to actuality throughout history. For example, in the 18th century, Étienne-Louis Boullée sought to overthrow traditions of architectural drawings and use the drawings to celebrate the greatness of picture, the greatness satisfies human’s soul and eager to extend its joys in every.1 In the 60s, Superstudio used a series of architecture collages to fight against market-driven architecture, and establish their goal to produce a system of infinite multiplications divisions and dimensions.2 Later on, Lebbeus Woods used his prominent drawings to evoke people’s awareness of the provocative characteristic of architecture oppose to its retrospective presentation or documentation purpose.3

As a knowledge of base, this thesis project would research why and how the architects/ artists make the images in certain way to accomplish their expected effect by comparing the chosen images particularly on architects/artists’ decision making on the scale of architecture pieces, not functionally determined spaces, materiality and pictorial perspective of the images and how these decisions result in different effect or affect.

This thesis proposal is to call on the audiences (architects and non-professionals) to consider architecture’s alternative role in architecture image beyond retrospective presentation. Also, to engage the audiences in awareness and discussion of the topical communication with the architects/artists. Based on the knowledge to set up a framework for this thesis project. What framework should be set to avoid documentation potentials of architecture? What to resist and or embrace to avoid the architecture image become functionally determined? And eventually, use this framework to produce images with speculative architecture on a ruin with potentially healing necessity as a mean to deliver personal desire of hope and joy and evoke personal responses from the audiences.

1 Boullee, Etienne Louis, Helen Rosenau, and Sheila de Vallee. 1976. Architecture, essay on art. London: Academy Editions. 2 Lang, Peter, 1957, William Menking, and Superstudio (Group). Superstudio: Life without Objects. 1st ed. Milano (Italy); New York, NY; : Skira, 2003. 3 Woods, Lebbeus and International Network for Art and Architecture. Lebbeus Wood: Aeon, the Architecture of Time : A Monograph. Vol. 1, no. 1;1, no. 1.;. New York, N.Y: Express newspaper, 1982.

2 BEYOND ARCHITECTURE

-Architecture’s alternative role in architecture image

Zexi Tang

Advisor: Terrance Goode Secondary advisor: Brian Lonsway Graduation Date: May 2019 Syracuse University School of Architecture

3 Content

Abstract 2

Title 3

Thesis Description 5

Kownledge 6-7

Situation 8-10

Project Description 11

Method 12-13

Outcome 14-21

Bibliography 22

4 Images/drawings of architecture can act as documentation of structures and space of buildings to help the audience (architects or clients) understand how architecture functions: the sense of space, physical relationship with the context, and circulation through different programs. Nevertheless, architectural images can also promote an idea or provocation rather than focus on space and use. The role of architecture in these kinds of images can be beyond a shelter or accommodation but to set up a stage to deliver messages; discuss historical, social, economic or political issues; or to express emotion or desire. Architects/artists have been using architectural images with perplexing spatial qualities as provocative, topical responses to actuality throughout history. This thesis project would research and evaluate why and how the architects/artists make the images in a certain way to accomplish their expected effect. Images by four different architects from different periods are chosen to form a matrix by comparing and deconstructing the images by scale, architecture program, pictorial perspective, materiality, composition, and color. From the matrix, different combinations form different frameworks to achieve the expected effects.

This thesis proposal is to call on the audiences (architects and non-professionals) to consider architecture’s alternative role in architectural images beyond retrospective presentation. In this project, neither the image nor the architecture is designed to propose solutions. Images have been created in this project not to propose solutions, but to raise awareness. Specifically, the images seek to engage Chinese governors in discussion of Chinese Property Ownership Policy. This policy causes the ongoing demolition and fading of architecture what witness the history and development of China and Chinese architecture which was eventually replaced by mass-produced high-rise residential apartments.

To raise awareness of this policy, this thesis is studying how architects/artists through history would construct their drawing; evaluating their images through scale, architecture program, pictorial perspective, materiality, composition, and color. The framework will create an understanding or which approach will best raise awareness of property ownership policy.

What framework should be set to accomplish the expected effect? What should be resisted and/or embraced to avoid the image becoming documentation or advertisement of architecture structure or space? Within the framework, how can I make the most powerful statement to emphasize the importance of memories of the architecture being demolished?

5 Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 author Étienne-Louis Boullée Superstudio Lebbeus Woods Eric Wong year 1784 1969 1981 2016

scale enormous confusing no reference confusing architecture program unclear program unclear program unclear residential building program materiality ink and wash collage pencil digital drawing pictorial section distorted collage perspective perspective distorted collage perspective perspective color B&W true colors B&W coherent warm v color set composition centered one point perspective direct focus fullfilled

SCALE the scale of the architecture pieces that are the main characters in the image in comparison to the context and human size.

ARCHITECTURE can the audience define the program of the “main character”? How would it evoke PROGRAM different affects from the audiences when the architecture pieces are functionally clear or unclear?

MATERIALITY what technique did the architect/artist use to make the image? PICTORIAL how is the image constructed, how do different pictorial perspective help PERSPECTIVE enhance the architecture pieces?

COLOR architects/artists’ decision making on the color palate

COMPOSITION how the image construction leads the audience’s eyes in order to emphasize the information the architect/artist is delivering

[Figure 1. This image is a section drawing of Cenotaph of Newton by Étienne-Louis Boullée. Source from https://gallica.bnf.fr/Bibliothèque nationale de France] [Figure 2. This image is a photomontage from the image series Continuous Monument by Superstudio. Image downloaded from https://www.cristianotoraldodifrancia.it/continuous-monument/] [Figure 3. This image is a drawing from the image series War and Architecture by Lebbeus Woods. Image downloaded from https://www.graphicine.com/lebbeus-woods-war-and-architecture/] [Figure 4. This image is from Eric Wong’s thesis COHESION which proposed blueprint for a re-imagined Britain. Source from http://www.ericwong.co.uk/]

6 ETIENNE LOUIS BOULEE (1784) SUPERSTUDIO (1969) LEBBEUS WOODS (1981) ERIC WONG (2017)

SCALE The thickness of the wall, the openness The white gridded box extends Being on its own without The perspective drawing of space, the hanging element from into the city. With the cityscape, any other interaction, the and straight lines make the interior as well as the trees on the the white box seems gigantic. building can be any size as the drawing precise and terrace-like platform on the sides of The scale of people on the new the audience image it would accurate. However, the the building make the audience lose structure does not seem correct be. transformation of the the sense of scale. With the people with the cityscape as a reference building and the flying drawn as a reference, the building is object. objects confuses the eccentrically enormous. audience again.

ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM The abnormal scale of the building If without the cityscape as a Without the existing context, The audience would makes the audience hard to specify the background, one would probably the audience cannot recognize the architecture function of this building. never see the “new” as architecture. estimate what activities as residential buildings. Even with the cityscape, the would happen in these However, the explosion of audience still won’t be able structures. No program or building parts and flying to identify the use of this grid any program can happen. objects clearly represent structure. something else besides the residential purpose of the building. MATERIALITY Ink and wash drawing. Collage with image and The obvious pencil marks Digital drawing is a model digital drawing. and the consistent linework architecture documentation make the audience focus format. However, the on the aesthetic rather architect does not follow than space and use of architecture drawing rules to architecture. make accurate drawings.

PICTORIAL PERSPECTIVE An orthodox architecture section is a One-point perspective. Orthodox one-point The distorted views, collage, conventional method of architecture perspective. and non-architectural spatial and structure documentation. elements to reduce the functionality of architecture. Even a professional would find it hard to understand the spatial quality of the architecture in this image. COLOR Black and white with block shade and Real object colors. Black and white. Coherent warm color palette lights. with red as pimary color.

COMPOSITION The building appears to be the only The white gridded structure The building is the only The entire page is full object in the drawing. The drawing extends into the city and vanishes object on the canvas draws filled with information, the is symmetrical with t light leads the to the edge of the sky; strong all the attention. audience would wander audiences’ eye to the center of the comparison with colorful cityscape through the entire page page. the audiences’ attention follows rather than focus on a the new structure through the specific point. page.

EFFECT The image seemed to be talking about This does not appear to be an The image is not a This drawing was produced architecture, but when the audience image of the architect and it retrospective architecture to raise the argument about tries to unpack the architecture, certainly is not. The architects presentation but an art whether or not architecture they realize the architecture doesn’t used the architectural element piece that expresses the can help reunite divided post- function. Then the audiences would to declare their attitudes against architect’s fantasy of the Brexit Britain. The project is step back to look at the image itself as market-driven architecture. postapocalyptic world. And not about space and usage an art piece. The architect celebrated in this case, how people of architecture but about the the greatness to architecture image occupy the space does not situation current situation because it satisfies the audiences in matter anymore. and envisions a better future. every aspect because of our soul, eager to extend its joys.

7 Chinese Property Ownership Policy

[Figure 5. This image shows the cover of Chinese Property Ownership Certificate. Image downloaded from http://www.sohu.com/a/83146933_227942]

All buildings in China have an expiration date, the buildings will be demolished after certain years, which varies from building types. Demolition is happening every day in every city of China. Even with the fact that these architectures visualize the development of China and Chinese architecture history, the buildings would still be demolished and replaced by mass- produced inactively occupied high-rise residential buildings that overcrowd the cities.

8 Date of usage: 2007/08/29 - 2077/08/29 Date of usage: 2009/12/06 - 2079/12/06

[Figure 6,7. These images show the content page of Chinese Property Ownership Certificate. Photography by Author]

9 [Figure 8-16. These images show the disappearing Chinese architecture culture. Images downloaded from https://s.weibo.com]

[Figure 17. This image represents the word “demolish” which would be written of the walls of the buildings that are going to be demolished. Images downloaded from http://www.icaijie.com/ news/2016/03/4406.shtml]

10 [Figure 17. Presentation. Photography by Author]

This image is not an anatomy of an architecture piece. The practical function of architecture is not important in this image. The hybrid piece of the structure with different types of representative Chinese architecture pieces act as a symbol of memories. This is a folly to remember the buildings being demolished in China due to Chinese property ownership policy.

This project does not aim to solve the problem but to evoke audiences’ awareness and bring up topical responses. The image is to document the development of Chinese architecture, which witnesses the development of China. The memories carried by the buildings are disappearing with the occupants who once lived in them.

11 scale confusing architecture residential building program materiality photomontage pictorial distorted collage perspective perspective color real object color, pink, B&W composition triangular

size 15x17in audience general public

Black and white context as background on the bottom, a colorful pseudo-symmetrical new structure in the middle of the canvas extends to the pink sky and become the focus on the canvas. The architecture program is clear from each piece, but the function of the hybrid structure is not clear, so the audience would not be distracted from identifying the function of the space. Although the context is desaturated, the collaged architecture pieces with extremely rich true color reduce the value of the content of the image. And the information becomes too rich that the audience doesn’t know where to look at.

scale confusing architecture program unclear program residential building materiality pen pictorial distorted perspective perspective color B&W composition middle

size 11x17in audience Chinese governers

The confusing scale of the building due to the distorted perspective create a mystery identity for the architecture which encourages the audience to discover the information it carries. Black & white pen drawing in the middle of the canvas immediately drag audiences’ attention. However, without context or comparison, it is hard to convince the audience of the importance of the memories of Chinese architecture history.

scale confusing architecture program unclear program residential building materiality collage pictorial distorted collage perspective perspective color real object color, B&W composition triangular

size 11x17in audience Chinese governers

The strong contrast of color and technique of the architecture piece and the context make the architecture piece become the focus. The triangular set up which architecture in the middle successfully guide the audience through the page.

12 scale confusing architecture residential building program materiality pen pictorial distorted perspective perspective color B&W composition fullfilled size 8.5x11in audience Chinese governers

The page is fulfilled, but the repetitive rigid lines on the left lead the audience to the right part of the page which is constructed with dynamic line types and heavier contents. But the black and white drawing failed to highlight the collective living style which should be the focus of this image.

scale confusing architecture program unclear program materiality oil on canvas pictorial distorted perspective perspective color dark, cold color palete composition fullfilled size 16x20in audience Chinese governers

The triangular composition leads the audiences’ eyes to travel from the bottom to the top so that each part of the building can be observed. However, without context or comparison, it is hard to convince the audience of the importance of the memories of Chinese architecture history. Furthermore, the texture of oil loses the detail of the buildings which are crucial to identify each building types.

scale no scale architecture program unclear program materiality pen, watercolor pictorial collage perspective color blue tone composition scattered

size 8.5x5.5in audience tourists

The abstract painting on a poster size paper can serve as a souvenir piece which the audience can the broader and not necessary to understand the complete information carried by the image but to appreciate the aesthetic quality of the image.

13 scale confusing architecture program unclear program residential building materiality pen on craft paper pictorial distorted perspective perspective color B&W composition triangular

size 26x45in audience Chinese governers

Issues: 1. diverse, characterised, and vernacular building types Vs. repetitive mass-produced building type 2. memroies of development of China and Chineses architecture Vs. no mark to trace back to

The repetitive rigid lines on the sides lead the audience to the middle part of the page which is constructed with dynamic line types and heavier contents. The image is heavier on the bottom and vanishes on the top which guides the audience from the bottom to the top. The pen drawing clear depicted the building types and craftsmanship which is the topical issue of this image. The contrast between the contemporary building and the characterize Chinese architecture would evoke the audiences’ awareness of what the issue we are facing.

14 15 scale confusing architecture program unclear program residential building materiality pen on craft paper pictorial distorted perspective perspective color B&W composition triangular

size 22x30in audience Chinese governers

Issues: 1. collective community life Vs. Isolated community life with limited shared space 2. celebration of culture and tradition is fading away 3. diverse building types Vs. repetitive mass-produced building type

16 17 scale no scale architecture no particular program program materiality pencil on woodpaper pictorial distorted perspective perspective color B&W composition read from right to left

size 11-3/4x22in audience Chinese governers

Issues: craftmanship Vs. mass-production

The pencil drawing on the wood penal cover with gesso mimics part of the destructed building. Sketchy pencil drawing makes the image look less formal and more like a graffiti on the wall. Pencil successfully depicts the memory of craftsmanship, meanwhile, celebrate the legacy of handcraft.

18 19 scale no scale architecture no particular program program materiality oil on canvas, chipboard pictorial distorted perspective perspective color red, green, blue, yellow composition read from right to left

size 48x36 in audience museum/gallery visitors

Issues: craftmanship, memory, typology

The bright colorful painting will be located in an museum or gallery which is served as a exhibited art piece. The image focus more on the construction of the composition to guide the audiences’ eye through the image. The audiences in this case would be the visitors of the museum/gallery who are free to apply their own interpretations to the painting based on their knowledge of art without detailed explanation of the project. How the image being broadcast by the visitors would be an unpredicted effect.

20 21 Bibliography

1. Boullee, Etienne Louis, Helen Rosenau, and Sheila de Vallee. 1976. Architecture, essay on art. London: Academy Editions.

2. Lang, Peter, 1957, William Menking, and Superstudio (Group). Superstudio: Life without Objects. 1st ed. Milano (Italy); New York, NY; : Skira, 2003.

3. Woods, Lebbeus and International Network for Art and Architecture. Lebbeus Wood: Aeon, the Architecture of Time : A Monograph. Vol. 1, no. 1;1, no. 1.;. New York, N.Y: Express newspaper, 1982.

4. “Can Architecture Help Reunite a Post-Brexit Britain?” 2016. The Spaces (blog). July 8, 2016. https://thespaces.com/can-architecture-help-reunite-divided-post-brexit-britain/.

5.Woods, Lebbeus, Joseph Becker 1984, Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher, Brett Littman, Drawing Center (New York, N.Y.), San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum.

6. Lebbeus Woods, Architect. Vol. 114;114.;. New York: The Drawing Center, 2014.

7. Woods, Lebbeus, Peter Noever 1941, Manuel De Landa, Anthony Vidler, and Christoph a. Kumpusch. Lebbeus Woods: System Wien. Ostfildern-Ruit;Maidstone;: Hatje Cantz, 2005.

8. Woods, Lebbeus. n.d. War and Architecture. 5th, illustrated ed. Princeton Architectural Press, 1993.

9. Woods, Lebbeus and Aedes Galerie für Architektur und Raum. Free-Zone-Berlin: Ein Projekt für Das Zentrum Der Metropole : Ausstellung, Februar 1991, Aedes, Galerie Und Architekturforum. Berlin: Aedes, 1991.

10.“xin bu dong chan deng ji zheng shu bao guang -- rmzxb” n.d. Accessed May 8, 2019. http:// www.rmzxb.com.cn/c/2015-02-26/451329.shtml.